respectable
adjective
- dignified, worthy of respect; estimable
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: [ɹɪˈspɛk.tə.bl̩]
adj
Etymology: Etymology tree English respect Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English respectable From respect + -able.
- Deserving respect.
“His accomplishments, morals, loyalty, and stature make him a respectable person.”
“In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass. In this way all respectable burgesses, down to fifty years ago, spent their evenings.”
- Decent; satisfactory.
“Turn up to the interview wearing something respectable. She plays a respectable game of chess. He got a respectable B+ on his last exam.”
- Moderately well-to-do.
noun
Etymology: Etymology tree English respect Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English respectable From respect + -able.
- A person who is respectable.
“They forced their way into the meetings called by the respectables; and the respectables disappeared. It was of their own respectable good pleasure that they withdrew.”
“The tensions between the "respectables" and the "gay spoilers"”